Media Digest 2/19/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

According to Reuters, Toshiba will drop its HD DVD format.

Reuters reports that Blll Gates said Microsoft (MSFT) will target web search with or without Yahoo! (YHOO)

Reuters writes that RIM (RIMM) has sued Motorola (MOT) over patent issues.

Reuters writes that Exxon (XOM) is willing to enter talks with Venezuela but will continue its fight to be paid for assets.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Credit Suisse (CS) has cut the value of its asset-backed securities by $2.85 billion.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ambac (ABK) will try to raise $2 billion.

The Wall Street Journal writes that a rival of Baxter (BAX) has started to supply a drug to replace heparin which has been tainted by supply quality problems in China.

The Wall Street Journal reports that problems in the auction-rate securities market may lead to higher financing costs for some institutions.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Martha Steward (MSO) will buy certain assets from Emeril.

The Wall Street Journal writes that Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) will begin to build chips designed by Sun (JAVA).

The Wall Street Journal writes that Verizon’s (VZ) roll-out of HDTV is being delayed by a shortage of settop boxes.

The Wall Street Journal writes that banks and investment houses may have to write down as much as $15 billion in LBO debt.

The Wall Street Journal writes that big media companies want a larger part of video games based on their shows.

The New York Times writes that Wall St. is bracing for another wave of write-downs.

The New York Times writes that China inflation rose 7.1% in January, the largest increase in a decade

The New York Times writes that Delta (DAL) and Northwest (NWA) are close to closing a merger.

The FT writes that banks have quietly borrowed $50 billion from the Fed in the last few weeks.

Bloomberg writes that the second half 2007 profits at Barclays (BCS) fell 21% on write-downs.

Douglas A. McIntyre